The benefits of a flexible mind (and 5 tips to achieve it).

Let's look at the reasons why mental flexibility is important and the habits to achieve it.

Why is psychological flexibility important?

We live in a world that is becoming faster and faster and more and more changing. Moreover, this technological society makes us need to adapt to many new things constantly, and not only at work.

Gone are the days of the stable job, always with the same partner, living all our lives in the same place... it is not that there were no changes before or that now these standards are impossible, it is rather the speed of things.

Now we are shaken by more changes in less time, and the search for security in many cases has been relegated to knowing how to adapt to the new in order not to be left behind. Many times we cannot choose not to change, and if we have psychological flexibility, we make it easier for us to face changes adequately..

What does it mean to have a flexible mind?

The cognitive flexibility allows you to have a flexible thought, because you are able to see the things of different angles, to assimilate the new information that comes to you and to take another direction, to adapt better to the new circumstances, to be more creative and resolute...

We are more inflexible or rigid than we think, our vision of the world is deeply rooted in what we already know or what we have been taught, to the point that we can say that everyone lives in their own reality, because it is not the same reality for everyone.

This circumstance gives us leeway to decide; that is why many speak of "build your reality". many speak of "build your reality", and they are right.and they are right. It is important to know what is your power to live or see things differently, and this gives you the power to change them or face them as you see fit.

A rigid mind is one that leads you over and over again to act the same way, and you may act that way out of conviction over and over again.You may act this way out of conviction over and over again even if it doesn't work for you. If you are usually trapped in circumstances or feelings and you always end up the same, I invite you to ask yourself if you have become trapped, if you need to open yourself to the possibility of seeing things from another perspective.

• You may be interested in "What is creativity, are we all "potential geniuses"?"

How do I know if I have fallen into the trap of a rigid mind?

The first thing to do is observe what things in our life do not seem to change or always have an unsatisfactory outcome.. We must keep in mind that you can have a rigid mind for certain aspects and for others a more flexible mind with more openness.

For example, you may think that you have to learn something new for your profession and feel capable of adapting to this change, even looking for it, and at the same time believe that no relationship will be the same as the one you had with that guy.

This last example may seem like an absolute and reasoned truth, but this belief can also be a prison that prevents you from ever enjoying love again. It is natural for you to think this.

Sometimes, the difference is made by how this thought or belief evolves in you. If it does not evolve, it will be a trap that will put barriers in your way. You will see everything more negative, because believing that you will never find the happiness you had with that person, you will be defensive, it will be difficult to have illusion, you will constantly compare this new love with the one you already had and everything will confirm that it is not the same, your belief will be fulfilled and you will think you are right.

If you have a flexible mind, you will give yourself room to see what this new relationship brings you, you will see the "not the same" as an opportunity to be with someone different who makes you feel love in a different way. You will conclude that no relationship is the same and that even though you knew you would never have a relationship like the one you had in the end you have found a different love that can also make you very happy. And so it will allow you to evolve and will allow you to evolve and become happy again.

This is just one example of how a flexible mind allows you to move forward and face life in a different way, not staying stuck for example in how things were and in the belief of how they should be. A flexible mind allows you to discover new paths.

Characteristics of a rigid mind

It is easy to detect if you have a rigid mind if you are entrenched in an opinion, if you think everyone is wrong except you.. To find out if you have fallen into this trap that makes you feel safe and embrace your beliefs, built by your experiences or by your past history, I propose you to analyze: when was the last time you were able to change your mind?

A flexible mind is capable of modify a judgment about something when it receives new information that contradicts what was previously thought.. A flexible mind will naturally be able to assimilate that new knowledge or evidence and modify what it thinks without falling into the trap of defending itself tooth and nail against what contradicts its previous position. It will be able to learn, evolve and grow.

5 tips to work on having psychological flexibility

Keep in mind these tips to develop mental flexibility.

1. Here and now is where what is really important happens, where you have the opportunity to live.

The past is history, learn from it, don't live in it, and the future is yet to be lived.and the future is yet to be lived. But if you do not live in the present you will not be able to live in the future, because you will never be present.

2. Learn from your mistakes

The guilt is not for you to keep, its intention is to cause you to act differently. to provoke you to act differently next time.. Mistakes don't talk about you, but how you deal with them says a lot.

3. Get out of the absolute thoughts, black/white, good/bad...

Embrace the nuances that make it so that there is not just one right answer. Reality is full of details, approaches, points of view?

4. Dare to change, to explore new things...

Do that which does not suit you, get used to try, to enjoy learning, take off the labels...Take off your labels... Discover more of yourself and leave limitations for rigid minds.

5. Connect with what is truly of value to you.

Giving everything so much importance can be overwhelming.. Don't wait for a blow to fall into what is really important, health, family.... Start living today!